MDA Waterways Object Name Thesaurus
[Contents]

Appendix 2: Indexing and Retrieval

A.2.1. Using the Thesaurus for indexing

Good indexing policies and a commitment to improving the quality of indexes are central to the successful operation of the thesaurus on computerized databases.

The thesaurus is designed for use at the most specific level of information available at the time of indexing. Indexers should therefore use the most specific term (i.e. narrow term) appropriate for indexing. The inclusion of related terms does give an indication of associations commonly found.

A.2.2. Using the Thesaurus for Retrieval

The thesaurus is specifically designed to assist users in maximizing the retrieval of information from a database. The hierarchical nature allows the user to retrieve information at different levels or by different concepts according to their needs. By structuring queries in different ways (for example, to include or exclude records indexed with narrow terms or records indexed with related terms or with both narrow and related terms) it is possible to expand or contract the information retrieved.

The thesaurus is intimately linked to indexing and retrieval needs and its effective application will benefit from the monitoring of enquiries to the database and the efficiency of retrieval. The recording of enquiries and retrieval problems, together with their regular review, should therefore help to improve the Thesaurus and the indexing of the database.


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